Lighter



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,-69;861

H. SHAPIRO LIGHTER Filed July 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: W 6602/2/46. Henry Shapiro,

BY m I ATTO'RNEY Jan. 22, 1929.

SHAPIRO LIGHTER Filed July 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet be manufactured in compact cupy but little space in Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

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llpplication fled m '25, 1927. Serial no. scares.

My invention relates to lighters in which a saturated wick is ignited by frictionally produced sparks. T

' The principal object of my invention is to provide a'lighter in which the wick tube and s arking mechanism are so disposed that positiveness of operation is assured.

- Another object of my invention is to provide a lighter which is so designed'that it may orm so as to octhe pocket of the user, and which readily lends itself to being made from ornamental and precious materials.

Still another object of'my invention is to so design the working parts that it is easily operated and the flame produced by the spar so disposed that it is readily accessible for lighting acigar or pipe, or for other purposes. These objects, and other advantageous ends whichjwill appear hereinafter, I attain in the followi'ng manned-reference being had to the accompanying drawings in whic Fi ure 1 is a top plan view of a lighter embodying my invention, f .Figureil a side elevation of same, and

' Figure 3 a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on'line '3-3 on Figure 1. y

'- Figure. 4 IS a transverse sectional view, takenon line 4--4 onFigure 3,

Figure 5 a transverse sectional view, on line 5-'-5 on Figure 3, and

Figure 6, a longitudinal'sectional view, as

taken indicated byline 6-6 on Figure 1, showing a difierent form of construction. a

Referring now more in detail to the draw ing's, in'which an embodiment of my inven' tion has been shown for illustrative purposes only, the device has been shown as being provided with a case or tank 10 forcontaining U at.

troduced into tank but l have shown combustible liquid '11 in which a portion ot a wick 12, is immersed. It is'customary 111 lighters ofthis character to fill the interior of tank 10 .with cottonor other absorbent material@ in order to prevent liquid 11 from splashin around, but rial has een omitted from the drawn? for the sake of simplicity; Liquidll may in- 10 in any suitable manner the tank provided with an opening in its'bottom, through which the liq uid may be introduced, which is closed by a brazed thereto.

communicates with the insecured to the top of A wick tube 14: terior of tank 10andis the tank in any suitable manner, as by hein isrigidly secure A. bar 15 this absorbent mate to the top of wick tube 14: and provided with a channel 16 which communicates with wick tube 14 and whose upper end is enlarged to form a bowl 17 for containing the ignitable end of the wick.

ing bowl 17 is reduced in diameter in order to The end of bar 15contain-' provide an annular shoulder 18,.against which i 15 may be either provided with ashoulder.

placed at an acute angle to the axis of bar :15, instead of at right angles to same, or the shoulder may be omitted and a sealing action effected by a slight tapering of the adjacent surfaces. y

A bore 20 extends the greater part of the length of bar 15 and isclosed by a'cap 21 threaded into its open erably recessed to receive the end of a compression sprin 22 whichextends into bore 20 and has its inner end secured to a pin 23 extending through slots 24, side of bar 15, and having its ends rigidly secured in the sides of a sleeve 25 which has a sliding fit'on the outside of bar 15."

(la 21, which is preferably milled on its perip ery and disposed nearly flush with one end of tank 10, is adapted to be abutted by one tends to move sleeve 25 longitudinally of bar -15so that the end of the sleeve will extend substantially beyond the end of the tank, at.

from wick tube 14, termiend. Cap 21 is pref formed in either which time, an opening 26 in sleeve 25 is disposed above bowl 17 so that the end of wick 12 may be ignited, as will hereinafter be described. The under side of sleeve 25 is rovided with a slot 27, one end of which is adapted to nearly abut one side of wick tube 14: when the sleeve is in closed position and the other end adapted to abut the opposite side of wick tube 14 when sleeve 25 is extended by the action of spring 22.

As shown in the drawings, sleeve 25 is bored for the greater part of its length to provide a sliding fit on the outside of bar 15 and is counter-bored to provide a recess,

which loosely fits over the end of bar 15 cons tniningbowl 17, and to provide a shoulder 28 adapted to engage shoulder 18, or to engage gasket 19 when such gasket is employed.

WVhen the lighter is not in use, sleeve 25 is moved along bar against the action of spring 22 until shoulder 28 engages gasket 19 and the sleeve is held in this position by a latch 29, slidably mounted in a tube 30 inserted in casing 10, engaging a notch 31 formed in the under side of the sleeve; the latch being moved upwardly by the action of a spring 32 mounted in the bottom end of tube 30. Latch 29 may be depressed against the action of spring 32 by means of a button 33 whose head rides on the endof casing 10 and whose stem is fixed inthe latch and slidable in the end of a recess 34 formed in the top of casing 10 by depressing a small portion immediately above tube 30 to provide clearance for the bent end of latch 29 when same is depressed. The upper end of latch 29 is provided with a beveled face which is adapted to be engaged by the end of sleeve 25 for depressing the latch in the customary manner.

A post 35 is suitably secured to the top of casing 10 near its center in any suitable manner, as by riveting or brazing, and has a flint tube 36 rigidly secured in its upper end. This tube has one end threaded to accommodate a screw 37 and its other end shaped to form a housing 38 in which one end of a shaft 39 is journalled; the other end of which is journaled in a bearing 40 secured to the top of tank 10.

A gear wheel 41 is rigily secured to shaft 39 and adapted to mesh with rack teeth 42 stam ed in or formed on the side of sleeve 25. In this model of lighter, either gear teeth may be employed or the periphery of gear wheel 41 merely roughened or notched so as to engage an uneven surface or notches formed on the side of sleeve 25. A flint wheel 43, having a roughened periphery, is fixed to shaft 39 in close proximity to gear wheel 41 and is engaged by a piece of flint, or other spark producing material, 44 contained in the end of flint tube 36 and held into engagement with flint wheel 43 by a coiled spring 45, the tension of which is regulated by screw 37. Housing 38 is rovided with a downstanding flange 46 whicii extends around substantially three-fourthsthe periphery of flint wheel 43 in order to cover same but is omitted between flint tube 36 and bowl 17 in order to expose wick 12 to the sparks produced by wheel 43 and flint 44.

Assuming that the lighter parts are in the positions shown. in the drawings and it is desired to light wick 12, button 33 may be moved downwardly so that latch 29 is withdrawn from notch 31 and spring 22 allowed to thrust sleeve 25 longitudinall of bar 15 and cause rotation of ear wheel 41, due to its being in mesh wit rack teeth 42 on the side of sleeve 25, and cause 0 ening 26 to align with bowl 17 and expose tlie top of wick 12. As flint wheel 43 and gear wheel 41 are both fixed to shaft 39, flint wheel 43 will be rotated and abrade the'end of flint 44, causing the production of sparks which will be hurled against the top of wick 12 and ignite same. When it is desired to extinguish the flameon wick 12, sleeve 25 is moved along bar 15, against the action of sprin 22, until shoulder 28 engages gasket 19, thus extinguishing the flame and seating bowl 17 so that the liquid in wick 12 will not evaporate. As the end of sleeve 25 approaches cap 21, it will engage the beveled face of latch 29 and cause same to be depressed. As shoulder 28 meets gasket 19, latch 29 will spring into notch 31, and lock sleeve 25 in this position.

Referring now to Figure 6, the modification shown is similar in all respects to the embodiment shown in the other views with the exception of the means of rotating the flint wheel. In this instance, a tube 47 is inserted through the top of casing 10 and provided with a bearing 48 in its lower end in which one end of a shaft 39 is rotatably mounted; the upper end of this shaft being journaled in housing 38 and carrying a gear wheel 41 and a flint wheel 43, as previously described. A coiled spring 49 crmircles shaft 39" and has one of its ends secured to tube 47 and its other end secured to shaft 39 in any suitable manner, as by being inserted through a hole 50 drilled through the shaft. Shaft 39 is rotated until spring 49 is under sufficient tension before gear wheel 41 is brought into engagement with rack teeth 42 on sleeve 25 so that, when sleeve 25 is released from latch 29, spring 49 may simultaneously drive sleeve 25 along bar 15 and rotate flint wheel 44 so as to produce sparks for lighting wick 12. In this instance, I find it advisable to form well defined teeth on gear wheel 41 and on sleeve 25 in order that there may be no slippage between the gear wheel and the sleeve.

' In the modification shown in Figure 6, bar 15 need not be bored for accommodating spring 22 although both sprierzlgs 22 and 49 may e employe if so desir If a hand operated lighter is desired, s rings 22 and 49, tube 47, and bore 20 may e omitted and wheel 41 operated by the thumb of the user,

thus roducing a very inexpensive 1i hter.

ile I have illustrated and described certain embodiments of my invention, it will be readily understood that other modifications may be made without de arting from the spirit thereof, and hence do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that Iran at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A lighter including a casing, a. telescopposed therein and extending into the casing,

a sparking mechanism engaging the wick container, and means for extending the telescoping wick container.

-2. A lighter including a casing, a telescoping wick container on the casing, a wick disposed therein and extending into the casing, sealing means on the wick container for sealing the wick therein, a sparking mechanism engaging the wick container, and means for extending the telescoping wick container.

3. A lighter including a casing, a wick holder on the casing, a wick in the wick holder, a reciprocable member enclosing the wick holder and provided with an opening,

sparking mechanism engaging thereciprocablc member, and means for reciprocating said member whereby the sparkingmecha nism will be operated and the wick exposed g in said opening.

4. A lighter including a casing, a wick holder on the casing, a wok 1n the wick holder, a reciprocable member enclosing the wick holder and provided with an opening, means on said member and means on the wlck holder coacting with one another for sealing the wick holder, sparking mechanism engaging the reciprocable member, and means for reciprocating said member whereby the sparking mechanism Will be operated and the wick exposed in said opening.

5. A lighter including a casing, a wick holder on the casing, a wick extending into the wick holder, a sleeve having an opening therein slidable on the wick holder, sparking mechanism en aging the sleeve, and a spring adapted to sli e the sleeve on the wick holder whereby the wick will be exposed in the opeiing and the sparking mechanism operate .6- A lighter including a casing, a wick holder, a sleeve slidable on the wick holder and having an opening and a slot, 9. wick tube securing the wick holder to the casing and extending through the slot, a wick in the wick holder, sparking mechanism operatively connected .to the sleeve, and means for sliding the sleeve on the wick holder whereby the wickwill be exposed in the opening and the sparking mechanism operated.

7. A ligl'iter including a casing, a wick holder, a sleeve slidable on the wick holder and having an opening and a slot, 21. wick tube securing the wick holder to the casing an extending through the slot, a wick in the wick holder, means for sealing the wick in the wick holder, sparking mechanism operatively connected to the sleeve, and means for sliding the sleeve on the wick holder whereby the wick will be exposed in the opening and the sparking mechanism operated.

8. A lighter including a casing, a wick holder, a sleeve slidable on the wick holder and having an opening and a slot, a wick tube securing the wick holder to the casing and extending through the slot, 2. wick in the wick holder, sparking mechanism operatively connected to the sleeve, and aspring 1n the wick holder for sliding the sleeve on the wick holder whereby the wick will be exposed in the opening and the sparking mechanism opera-ted.

9. A lighter including a casing, holder on the casing, a wick therein,

a. wick a sleeve 'slidable on the wick holder and having an 

